Bridge top stop for slide fasteners

ABSTRACT

A bridge top stop consists of a body typically comprising a pair of wings or plate members interconnected at their lower ends by a central web or coupling link of wedge-shaped cross section. One of the plate members has a pair of flanges along its lateral edges, which flanges cooperate with the wedge-shaped web to form a downwardly diverging, inverted Y-shaped guide channel through the bridge top stop body for reception of fastener elements therein. For mounting this bridge top stop in position on a pair of fastener stringers, the opposed inside edge portions of the stringers are manipulated into and through the inverted Y-shaped guide channel of the top stop body from its lower end, just as when a pair of such stringers is threaded through the similar guide channel of the usual slider for slide fastener assemblage. Some of the fastener elements including the topmost ones of the respective stringers will interengage within the top stop body.

United States Patent Takahashi et al,

[ Feb. 11, 1975 BRIDGE TOP STOP FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Inventors: KiheiTakahashi, Uozu; Hideo Takabatake, Kurobe, both of Japan [73] Assignee:Yoshida Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha,

Tokyo, Japan 22 Filed: June21,1974

21 Appl. No.: 481,835

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary ExaminerBernard A. GelakAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Bucknam and Archer [57] ABSTRACT A bridge topstop consists of a body typically comprising a pair of wings or platemembers interconnected at their lower ends by a central web or couplinglink of wedge-shaped cross section. One of the plate members has a pairof flanges along its lateral edges, which flanges cooperate with thewedge-shaped web to form a downwardly diverging, inverted Y-shaped guidechannel through the bridge top stop body for reception of fastenerelements therein. For mounting this bridge top stop in position on apair of fastener stringers, the opposed inside edge portions of thestringers are manipulated into and through the inverted Y- shaped guidechannel of the top stop body from its lower end, just as when a pair ofsuch stringers is threaded through the similar guide channel of theusual slider for slide fastener assemblage. Some of the fastenerelements including the topmost ones of the respective stringers willinterengage within the top stop body.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB] l [975 SHEET 2 [1F 2 FIG.4

IIIIIII/Illll r140 FIG.7

1 BRIDGE TOP STOP FOR SLIDE FASTENERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates generally to slide fasteners and in particular to whatis commonly referred to as bridge top stops whose primary function is toinseparably connect the upper ends of the stringers of a slide fastenerfor limiting the upward movement of a slider in the operation ofcoupling or closing the fastener stringers.

As is well known, slide fasteners equipped with bridge top stops of thecharacter described have found extensive use in garment placket andother closure openings including those in bags, suitcases and likearticles. While a wide variety of bridge top stops have been proposedand used in the art, most of them have been found not entirelysatisfactory in that, for instance, such prior art bridge top stopscannot be easily mounted in position adjacent the upper ends of a pairof fastener stringers, requiring undue attention on the part of theworkman to the relative positioning of the stringers and the top stop.This difficulty arises, among other reasons, from the fact that theprior art bridge top stops are usually clamped or otherwise secureddirectly onto the reinforced or beaded edges of the stringer tapes.

As a result of this common defect of the prior art, a pair of fastenerstringers interconnected by such bridge top stop may becomelongitudinally displaced one with respect to the other or may becomeirregular in the required spacing between their adjacent longitudinaledges. It is therefore highly possible that the rows of fastenerelements on the respective stringer tapes should shift out of theircorrect relative positions, with the resultant impairment of the smoothcoupling and uncoupling of the fastener elements by the slider movingtherealong.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the listed drawbacks of the priorart, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improvedbridge top stop for slide fasteners which can be easily and correctlymounted in position on a pair of fastener stringers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bridge top stop whichcan be mounted on the fastener stringers with sufficient mechanicalstrength and positional stability to remain in service over extendedlengths of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bridge top stop whichcan be formed of either metallic or thermoplastic material, with equallyfavorable manufactural and operational characteristics.

Briefly summarized, this invention contemplates the provision of abridge top stop of the character referred to, which includes a bodyhaving a downwardly diverging, inverted Y-shaped guide channeltherethrough for receiving corresponding parts of rows of interlockingfastener elements carried along the respective inside edges of a pair offastener stringer tapes. For mounting the bridge top stop on thefastener stringers, the opposed inside edges of these stringers arethreaded through the inverted Y-shaped guide channelof the stop body,just as through the guide channel of the conventional slider, until thetopmost fastener elements on the respective stringer tapes reach itsupper end, with the result that some of the fastener elements includingthe topmost ones interengage in the guide channel of the top stop. Sincethe bridge top stop according to the invention can thus be substantiallyintegrally united with parts of the rows of fastener elements throughoutthe entire longitudinal dimension thereof. the stop can be mounted inposition on the stringers with high mechanical stability and is furthereffective to retain the fastener elements of the respective stringers intheir correct relative positions.

The features which are believed to be novel and characteristic of thisinvention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, as well as the additional objects andadvantages thereof, will be best understood from the followingdescription of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts of the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan viewof a slide fastener incorporating the bridge top stop according to thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bridge top stop shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the inside surface of a top wing orplate member in the bridge top stop of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line IVIV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the embodiment of FIG. 5mounted in position on a pair of fastener stringers; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view explanatory of afurther preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference is first directed toFIG. 1 to briefly describe the general organization of a slide fasteneremploying the bridge top stop according to this invention. Theillustrated slide fastener comprises a pair of stringers generallydesignated 10 and 11, respectively. Each stringer includes a tape 12having along the reinforced inside edge 13 thereof a row of interlockingfastener elements 14 of any known or suitable type anchored thereto in asuitable manner. Although not shown in the drawings, it is assumed thatthe lower ends of the inside edges 13 of the stringer tapes 12 areconnected by a suitable bottom end fitting or bottom stop in a knownmanner. The rows of fastener elements 14 can be engaged and disengagedrelative to each other by a conventional slider, also not shown, whichis slidable therealong. The reference numeral 15 generally designates apreferred form of the bridge top stop according to this invention.

As illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bridge top stop15 has a substantially dovetail-shaped body 16 comprising a pair ofsimilar wings or plate members 17 and 18 interconnected at their lowerends by a centrally located web or neck 19 of wedge-shaped crosssection. The opposite lateral sides of the top wing 17 terminate indownward flanges 20 which are each slightly bent at an intermediatepoint and which cooperate with the wedgeshaped web 19 to form adownwardly diverging, inverted Y-shaped guide channel 21 for acceptingthe upper end portions of the rows of interlocking fastener elements 14therein. The lower end of the bridge top stop body 16 may be suitablyconcaved or recessed as seen in the drawings, thereby permitting theupper end portion of the unshown slider to fit snugly therein when thesame is moved to its uppermost position to close the slider.

In order to mount the bridge top stop 15 of the above describedconfiguration in position on the pair of stringers l and 11, the insideedges 13 of these stringers may be threaded through the invertedY-shaped guide channel 21 of the top stop body 16 from its lower end, inmuch the same way as when a pair of such stringers is manipulatedthrough the guide channel of the usual slider for slide fastenerassemblage. The bridge top stop 15 is then shifted downwardly of thestringers l0 and 11 until the topmost ones of the'fastener elements 14on the respective stringer tapes l2 reach the upper end of its body 16,as will be clearly seen from the showing of FIG. 1. It will also appearfrom a consideration of FIG. 1 that some of the fastener elements 14including the topmost ones on the respective stringer tapes interengagein the upper end portion of the inverted Y-shaped guide channel 21 ofthe top stop body 16.

Thereafter, if the bridge top stop 15 is metal made, its top and bottomwings l7 and 18 may be mechanically compressed into positive clampingengagement with the pair of stringers l0 and 11 as illustrated inFIG. 1. If the bridge top stop 15 is formed of some synthetic resin ofthermoplastic nature, on the other hand, then its wings l7 and 18 may besubstantially integrally secured to the stringers l0 and 11 underapplication of heat and pressure, as by the known techniques ofsupersonic or high frequency heating. Generally, where a metal-made topstop is employed, the fastener elements with which the stop is intendedfor use may also be metal made, and where a thermoplastic top stop isemployed, the fastener elements will likewise be thermoplastic.

FIGS. and 6 illustrate another preferred embodiment of the invention, inwhich the bridge top stop a has a single plate member 170 correspondingin function to the top wing 17 in the preceding embodiment of FIGS. 1 to4. The plate member 17a has on its inner surface a pair of flanges aextending along the respective lateral edges and a column 19aofwedgeshaped cross section located centrally at the lower end. Theseflanges 20a and column 19a cooperate to form a downwardly diverging,inverted Y-shaped guide channel or groove 21a as in the precedingembodiment. The bridge top stop 15a of this general configuration may beformed of thermoplastic material and, as illustrated in FIG. 6, mountedin position on the pair of fastener stringers 10 and 11 underapplication of heat and pressure. If desired, the inner surfaces of theplate member 17a defining the guide groove 210 may be knurled by way ofslippage prevention. Other details of construction are substantially thesame as those set forth in connection with the preceding embodiment.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates another preferred embodiment of theinvention which assumes the use of metal for both fastener elements 14aand bridge top stop 15b. The bridge top stop 15b also comprises top andbottom wings or plate members 17b and 18b interconnected and configuredso as to define a downwardly diverging, that is, inverted Y-shaped guidechannel therethrough as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. Thisbridge top stop 15b can also be mounted in position on the pair offastener stringers by compressing its top and bottom wings 17b and 18btoward each other. However, this final embodiment of the inventionfeatures a plurality of longitudinally spaced teeth 22 which are formedon the inside surface of the bottom wing 18b, or of the top wing 17b ifdesired, by inwardly raising parts of the wing as seen in the drawing.These teeth 22 are intended to project into the spacings between thefastener elements 14a for added positional stability.

Having thus described the several useful and novel features of thebridge top stop according to the invention, it is believed that the manyobjects for which it was designed have been fully accomplished. However,while but a few of the several possible embodiments of the inventionhave been illustrated and described herein, certain additionalmodifications may well occur to those skilled in the art within thebroad teaching hereof. The invention, therefore, should and is intendedto comprehend all such modifications remaining within the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a slide fastener including a pair of stringers each having a tapecarrying a row of interlocking fastener elements on one inside edgethereof, and a slider slidable along said rows of fastener elements forcoupling and uncoupling the same, a bridge top stop comprising a bodyadapted to be secured in position to the adjacent edges of said pair ofstringers, and means on said body for defining a downwardly diverging,inverted Y- shaped guide channel therethrough, said guide channel beingadapted to receive corresponding parts of said rows of fastener elementsthroughout the entire length thereof, in such a manner that some of thefastener elements including the topmost ones of the respective stringersinterengage within said body.

2. A bridge top stop as defined in claim 1, wherein said body comprisesa pair of plate members interconnected at their lower ends by acentrally located web of substantially wedge-shaped cross section.

3. A bridge top stop as defined in claim 2, wherein the lateral edges ofat least one of said plate members are flanged toward the other platemember.

4. A bridge top stop as defined in claim 2, wherein said body ismetallic and wherein a plurality of spaced apart teeth are formed on theinside surface of at least one of said plate members, said teeth beingadapted to be received in the spacings between the fastener elementswithin said body.

5. A bridge top stop as defined in claim 1, wherein said body consistsof a single plate member of thermoplastic material.

1. In a slide fastener including a pair of stringers each having a tapecarrying a row of interlocking fastener elements on one inside edgethereof, and a slider slidable along said rows of fastener elements forcoupling and uncoupling the same, a bridge top stop comprising a bodyadapted to be secured in position to the adjacent edges of said pair ofstringers, and means on said body for defining a downwardly diverging,inverted Y-shaped guide channel therethrough, said guide channel beingadapted to receive corresponding parts of said rows of fastener elementsthroughout the entire length thereof, in such a manner that some of thefastener elements including the topmost ones of the respective stringersinterengage within said body.
 2. A bridge top stop as defined in claim1, wherein said body comprises a pair of plate members interconnected attheir lower ends by a centrally located web of substantiallywedge-shaped cross section.
 3. A bridge top stop as defined in claim 2,wherein the lateral edges of at least one of said plate members areflanged toward the other plate member.
 4. A bridge top stop as definedin claim 2, wherein said body is metallic and wherein a plurality ofspaced apart teeth are formed on the inside surface of at least one ofsaid plate members, said teeth being adapted to be received in thespacings between the fastener elements within said body.
 5. A bridge topstop as defined in claim 1, wherein said body consists of a single platemember of thermoplastic material.